John McCarthy
CHARLOTTE AMALIE – A native of St. Lucia expelled from the territory for “moral turpitude” in 2014 was charged in federal court for trying to enter the United States illegally in St. Thomas on Tuesday.
Isidore Francis Isidore, 61, was detained pending further proceedings after his arrest on April 28, 2018, for illegal re-entry into the United States, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said.
Isidore made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller on Monday after being charged by a criminal complaint.
According to the criminal complaint, on or about April 28, 2018, Isidore arrived in U.S. Customs water around the Red Hook area of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, on a private watercraft. He had previously been ordered for removal in 2014, after having been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude.
Illegal re-entry after deportation or removal carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Shappert said that a criminal complaint is merely a formal charging document and is not in and of itself evidence of guilt.
“Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty,” she said.
The case is a result of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anna A. Vlasova.
